New member here and looking for some advice. I’m a long time BMW fanboy and recently waded into MB ownership with a 2015 GL550. I acquired it in October 2021 with 61k and now at 66,750.

I know owning big German luxury vehicles is not inexpensive and I went into this eyes wide open.

HOWEVER, I’m about $5400 into repairs in 3 months. First was a battery which, ok. Normal maintenance but it did leave me stranded and requiring a tow with my wife and kids in the car. Then a few weeks later I had a misfire in cylinder 3 and it came to light that the spark plugs were never done at the 50k interval so I did that plus the coil for cylinder 3.

Then this past week I had a severe loss of power and misfire in 3 and 5. I was over an hour from home and had to bring it to an unfamiliar MB dealership. They said the fuel injectors in 3, 4 and 5 needed to be replaced and I authorized the repair at $4000. The price seems egregious but my other option would have been to flatbed it back home which I really didn’t have time to deal with at the time. Dealer said no compression loss in affected cylinders.

Also, burning 1 quart per 1000 miles of oil and exhaust smells oily at times but didn’t initially.

Now I find myself concerned about the integrity of the engine. Are these common issues or signs of a larger problem beginning to show itself? Valve seal issues? I read some horror stories in other threads. Replacing the head for $15k is not something I want to afford to do.

I am tempted to just trade out of it to something way more boring that I don’t have to worry about but I’m sad. I love the car and am so proud to own my first Benz. To trade out I would take an absolute bath price wise so it’s not ideal.

Appreciate any similar experiences or advice. Convince me why I should keep it or dump it.

I do not have a warranty of any kind. Thanks!

 

The twin turbo V8 engines of this era are turning out to be somewhat fragile. When the misfires begin, the repairs can range from a simple coil pack, or oil in the wire harness, to burned valves,scuffed cylinder walls, or seized main bearings requiring a complete engine replacement. Your oil consumption is concerning and is a symptom of scuffed cylinder walls. A borescope inspection of the cylinders would be a good idea. Other problems with this engine include broken turbo coolant lines and burning of coolant. Replacement engines are expensive. Any of the GL/ML models with the v6 engines...except diesels!...offer better reliability and longevity. These were impressive engines when they were new, and under warranty.